Getting Data from a PLC Automatically

What does Omron say about this?

Isn't the function of the PLC to control "... like times for when the pallet enters station A and exits station A and so on."?

It seems a little awkward to use a PLC to collect this information. Would you use sensors alone to control the logic of the process?

Yep. That would be SCADA.

There is a SCADA Sysmac-scs and CX-server installed on the PC. I am having trouble communicating with the Omron CQM1 PLC though. Would you have any experience of this or what connection you need to communicate?

Based on what you've initially posted it seems the best approach to this portion of your project would be to go at it like you would an HMI (man machine interface).
It's usually easier to deal with integer registers than it is ascii or text. Data collection and the use of real data from PLCs and export in various formats is done all the time.

Yes... if you want to capture the interval you had better make yourself a stopwatch. If you want to get fancy then you'll time stamp on entry and exit. If you want to get fancier then set some bells and whistles that get attention because your pallet of widgets is jammed up against some poor operators head and hasn't exited in a timely fashion.

Hi Switchman,

Thanks for the help. How would you go about doing time stamp on entry and exit?

Regards,

Kevin

Unless you want to get inside the PLC and start adding timers all over the place (which is ok if you've well up on PLC programming) - then access via comms, I'd say the easiest way would be to connect a multi-channel data logger to the outputs of interest.

This could be done pretty easily with a digital input card in a PC, or one of the external type input devices which connect to a PC via USB.

When you are talking about a multi-channel data logger are you talking about something like LabVIEW?

Yes - that or something similar (which I'm sure can be bought more cheaply).

For example, check out Labjack (click) - USB pluggable. You'd have to do some work (a few resistors here and there), as the basic version only takes up to +5V, but it's cheap'n'chearful, and it works (I have one).

_{Usual disclaimers apply.}

• i used to do small scale repairs to industry data collection systems years ago
• never used standalone PLC-s however
• the next bolded stuff rises questions

*** 02/20/2012 8:53 AM <QUOTE>
For example when using time chart monitoring on the sysWin⁽¹⁾ software
</QUOTE>

*** 02/20/2012 3:00 PM <QUOTE>
I'd say the easiest way would be to connect a multi-channel data logger⁽²⁾ to the outputs of interest.
</QUOTE> <QUOTE>
devices which connect to a PC via USB⁽³⁾.
</QUOTE>

*** 02/21/2012 2:58 AM <QUOTE>
export data to excel⁽¹⁾ using that option
</QUOTE>

(1) -- windows reliability in proccess control

(2) -- each Xtra otp. makes sys. more complic. + fault-likely + expensive (service/cost)

(3) -- USB delimits cable lengths (i speculate) + it's a specialist task 2 invent/prog. OR expensive (to buy) a retail industry std. comm.protocol

Hi, Bye!

DDE manager is installed on the PC but it will not open for me for some reason.

That link does not work, do you have another one?

http://www.scantime.co.uk/_docs/CXServerRuntime.pdf